Raider
Fillydelphia.
No matter what others might say, we’re building a future here. A better future for generations to come; though the cost is… regrettable to say the least. But its the duty of those who can to suffer so others don’t need to. Red Eye said so. I believe so.
I don’t usually deal in slaves, rather, I deal with them. One tried to run, I broke her legs. Another spread lies about our great work, I cut his tongue. Last one, a little filly, was crying in the corner, I relieved myself with her. This was normal for me and many like me here in Filly, and I didn’t complain. Those who did got a collar around their necks.
I left the shack the rebellious family calls their home and with my magic, I reach for a cigarette neatly placed aside behind my ear. With a simple heat spell it lights in my mouth and the putrid smoke fills my lungs. I glance behind me at the shack, signalling the slavers to get on with their job. They knew they only had a couple of minutes until I finished sucking the cigarette.
Gazing through the metal cage protecting my head I saw the sunset. Such a beautiful sight I thought, it was a calming view to say the least. Fillydelphia was chaos during the best of times and I was doing everything in my power to make things better. Such was the case with what I’d just done, but for now I simply enjoyed Celestia’s sun setting behind the faraway horizon.
Or at least I would’ve, but a scream and a loud Smack brought me back to the moment. The mother, limping her way out, got gasoline thrown into her face followed by a hard buck from the new guy. I never bothered learning their names, they rarely lasted long enough for it to matter before they’d disappoint me. The mare grovelled on the ground, begging for me to stop this, promising she’d do anything. Anything.
I took a final drag from my cigarette and let the smoke out with a sigh. Her face lit up with hope before I took the burning bud in my magical grasp and threw it in her face, lighting her on fire and the rest of her home a moment after. Celestia would judge her, I was simply the courier when somepony opposed Her bright future, the future Red Eye told me about.
I walked away from the screams, the burning shack and my underlings. They quickly scurried after me, snickering and laughing amongst themselves, even occasionally tossing a few compliments my way. I didn’t care, and why should even I acknowledge passing comments from ponies I had nothing but contempt for? These raiders and slavers were nothing but cogs in a machine built by Red Eye, and so was I. We were all but a stepping stone for a greater cause, and I’d be happy to die for that cause if I knew I’d accomplished something towards it.
As I arrived at my room where I’d planned to take a well deserved nap, I found a note on the door. I knew what this meant, a new job that needed my attention. After a quick glance through the paper I’d gotten the gist of it. Go to the ruins a few hours walk away from Filly and take care of the group. Something about escapees and endangering our operation here. Whoever wrote it also told to take a few slavers with me, but I ignored it. I didn’t need anyone slowing me down, I wanted to be back as soon as possible to get some shut eye.
I made sure my small bag was ready for the trek with all the supplies I needed: Combat knife for anything a sharp object might be useful for, a few grenades, a molotov cocktail in case grenades didn’t do the job, some water and a bit of meat in case I got hungry before I found something else to eat. Closing the bag and picking it up with my magic I fastened to by back and went to check my armour’s condition. It was a very simple armour by nature, providing as much protection as possible without hindering movement. Thick slabs of metal welded together held in place by leather and cloth. Thick pieces of rebar welded on the plates to create blunt spikes which to ram and skewer anyone I needed to. My head protected by a large hood made of more plates with more of the blunt spikes, only showing my face when holding my head up. Crotch left lightly covered for obvious reasons.
After a quick snack on the paper note I left Filly and head towards my target.
After an hours brisk walk I reached the ruins I was looking for. It was an old bar by the look of the sign, windows covered by steel plates and a thick wooden door as the entrance. It had seen better days, and was most likely been in the use of many groups before these unfortunate ponies. I slowly walked up to the door and listened for any signs of life and was immediately rewarded for it. Muffled voices talking inside… four by my count, possibly five… Two mares… One very young filly…
After a few minutes of listening I tired of the serenity, I wanted to get this over with fast and simple. Producing the grenades in my bag and pulling their pins in the process I dropped them by the door, walked a few feet away and covered my face from the explosion. A loud Boom echoed as the door shattered and showered whomever was inside with wooden shrapnel. Screaming and shouting snapped me out of the trance the beautiful noise had made and I proceeded with the job.
I walked calmly back towards the door and produced the molotov out of my bag. With a quick spell the rag was lit and sent flying into the bar. Instead of the loud and violent boom of the grenades, this time I was met with a satisfying Crash and Whoosh of the bottle breaking and the flame spreading around the floor and hopefully walls as well. More screaming, the fire purifying the filthy heathens trying to destroy our great work. The sound of fast galloping hooves and high pitched screaming begun closing in, one of the mares was running out of my righteous flames.
I met the coward with a shoulder charge. A Shlunk and a Thump followed by a quickly silenced screech told me the spikes had impaled her and that she'd hit the plates with considerable force. She would stay there until pried free from the chaotic assortment of steel. Whichever of the mares I hit was on fire I quickly realised as the heat washed over my body. I wasn’t afraid however. I’d had the armour made fire resistant by utilising pre-war insulation, so the flames merely fuelled my rage building inside me. A shout of rage came from inside and I instantly replied with a charge, my head lowered to protect my head and cause as much damage as I could with my armour.
With a headbutt and a quick flick of my head backwards sent the pony flying over me in a shower of blood. With the immense force the body hit the doorframe behind me with a Crack, bones breaking and dropping the cripple on the ground to watch my work in a quickly growing pool of her own blood. She groaned weakly, coughing up more blood. That was the mares out of the way, now onto the harder part.
A cacophony of gunfire accompanied by a hail of bullets started flying my way from the left, most missing from panicked shots but a few lucky ones managed to make contact with my armour, sending them flying across the room and causing hazardous ricochet. I begin my charge, jumping around to prepare another shoulder charge on my right side this time. My back hooves crouch for a fraction before jumping my body towards my next victim. Another Shlunk and Thump and a stallion is stuck to me, blood flowing freely down my right side. My footing faltered slightly due to the slick crimson liquid but I didn’t allow it to bother me.
Another jump around to face my rear towards the surviving stallion and a quick strong buck into his face fill the room with a loud Crack as I feel his skull caving in. I felt like on Jet, everything had slowed down as I finish off the last life aside from myself for miles.
I let out a breath of air I was holding in. The entire thing had lasted maybe 25 seconds at most, perhaps closer to 15. I took a long breath in, smelling the burning fire and charred flesh stuck to my left shoulder. Igniting my horn I first remove the stallion from my right, feeling the pounds of flesh leaving lightening my weight. The pony on my left however was so light. So it was a filly after all. I yanked the cooked child from the spikes with my magic, dropping the body unceremoniously on the floor.
Four dead ponies. A burning ruin. Blood slicking my coat underneath the metal plates. My job was done.
As I stood there, watching the hypnotic fire die out from the lack of fuel, I noticed I’d become hungry. I opened my bag and looked inside, around me and then back inside I figured I’d have enough time for a midnight snack before heading back.
The clouds let none of the fabled moonlight through as I returned to the gates of Filly, where I found Red Eye waiting for me personally. I silently approached him, waiting for praise and a fitting reward, and as I neared I lit a fresh cigarette.
Red Eye looked straight into my eyes, burning through to my soul and judged my deeds. He opened his mouth, his voice calm and his face a portrait of serenity. “What the hell did you do? Was it too hard to follow such simple orders?” The calm vanished to reveal venom. Each word hurt me more and more, and as he begun a long rant berating me for my actions I felt tears forming in the corners of my eyes.
I had failed him. I had failed Celestia and Luna. How will I ever be able to repay my mistakes? The venom in Red Eye’s voice turned into hatred and anger. I lowered my head in shame, thinking back to the note I’d eaten to find something, anything that I might’ve missed. What did I do wrong? My breathing grew heavy and fast, making the cigarette burn quicker.
“We needed them! They were valuable workers! The filly would’ve been our next generation!” Red Eye pointed his hoof at me accusingly, face twisted in fury.
Oh.
Oh!
It dawned on me, I was supposed to bring them back! Not kill them. I felt a pang of guilt, not paying enough attention to his orders. I chuckled at the realisation, causing Red Eye to stop his yelling in confusion.
I took my mostly burnt cigarette butt in my magical grip and threw it in my mouth, chewing hard on it. The taste was horrible, but I’d suffer through it to make things right, he’d have his ponies. Red Eye said something but it was lost in the gagging and then puking. After a few minutes of heaving, coughing and puking I’d emptied the contents of my stomach on the ground between the two of us. Shock was the only emotion Red Eye had for my actions, I thought it’d be pride. Maybe I needed to clarify.
I looked at the puddle on the ground and pointed my hoof at it to make sure he understood me. “The mare and the filly.”